The weather outside is frightful for some, but unseasonably delightful for snowmobilers.

Snowmobilers shouldn't go tooling around most of Central New York just yet, cautions Mike Fischer of Chittenango, a director at-large for the New York State Snowmobile Association. Trails aren't open yet in this area and hunters are still about in the Southern Zone.

"Everyone is always in a hurry, but we're asking snowmobilers to stay off the trails on private property until dusk Dec. 18," he said.

"Many of the trails have not been properly signed, cleared and checked by trail safety coordinators," he said. "You may have downed trees that haven't been chainsawed out of the way, brush that hasn't been cleared, rerouting on certain trails that haven't been properly marked. ..."

The Dec. 18-at-dusk opener for Central New York snowmobilers is significant for two reasons:

- The date coincides with the close of the muzzleloader and bowhunting hunting seasons in the Southern Zone. Snowmobilers out and about before that risk being shot at, along with the possibility they'll annoy hunters by scaring deer away.

- Access agreements have been worked out with land owners, many of whom are also supportive of hunters. Snowmobilers who ride on other's property without permission are trespassing. They may also damage winter crops because the ground isn't completely frozen yet, Fischer said.

Tim Taylor, president of the Toad Hollow Trail Riders, a 340-member snowmobile club in Onondaga County, noted some 95 percent of the trails in Onondaga are on privately owned land.

"Any public/state-owned land you can ride on, but if you hit some private property you're going to have some very, very angry landowners," he said.

Fischer said some trails may still not be ready after Dec. 18, due to volunteer schedules and other factors.

"Just don't assume all trails are open," he said. "Check with the local club before you ride."